Automatic steady rest for grinding machines



Sept. 11, 1951 H. A. SILVEN 2,567,620

AUTOMATIC STEADY REST FOR GRINDING MACHINES Filed Dec. 21, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 sq "(a a! a0 '8 la '6 A. Rr fnz/emor MANAAAAM HERBEUAS/LVEN Httorney Sept. 11, 1951 H. A. SILVEN, 2,567,520

AUTOMATIC STEADY REST FOR GRINDiNG MACHINES Filed Dec. 21, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.5

Im/cnt or HEEBAET r6" 5 IL F/EA/ Patented Sept. 11, 1951 AUTOMATIC STEADY BEST FOR GRINDING MACHINES Herbert A. Silven, Worcester, Mass.,' assignor to Norton Company, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 21, 1948, Serial No. 66,419

2 Claims.

The invention relates to grinding machines and more particularly to an automatically actuated steadyrest for cylindrical grinding machines.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and thoroughly practical automatically operated steadyrest. Another object is to provide an automatically operated steadyrest in which the steadyrest shoe is advanced automatically into operative engagement with the work piece to be ground. Another object is to provide a steadyrest in which the steadyrest shoe is automatically advanced into operative engagement with the work piece to be ground and in which the shoe is automatically maintained in supporting engagement with the work piece during grinding as the work piece is reduced in size. Another object is to provide an automatically operated two-shoe type steadyrest in which both of the work steadying shoes are automatically advanced into engagement with the work piece to be ground and are automatically maintained in supporting engagement therewith during the entire grinding operation.

A further object is to provide an automatically operated steadyrest which operates in timed relation with the feeding movement of the grinding wheel so that when the grinding Wheel is advanced at the start of a grinding operation, the work steadying shoes are moved automatically into supporting engagement with the work piece to be ground and are automatically maintained in steadying engagement therewith during the entire grinding operation. Another object is to provide an automatically operated steadyrest which operates in timed relation with the movement of the grinding wheel so that when the grinding wheel is moved to an inoperative position after a grinding operation has been completed, the steadyrest shoes are moved automatically and simultaneously to an inoperative position. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described, and thescope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of the mechanical features of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a hydraulic piping diagram showing the operation of the improved steadyrest operatively connected to operate in timed relation with the wheel feeding mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the improved steadyrest;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the steadyrest showing part of the actuating mechanism therefor;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken approximately on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2, through the horizontal shoe adjusting mechanism; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, showing the rotatable work support.

As illustrated in the drawing, a grinding machine is provided having a longitudinally movable work table II which is provided with a rotatable work support comprising a headstock 6 and a footstock I having work supporting centers 8 and 9, respectively, for rotatably supporting a Work piece to be ground. The work table II also supports a steadyrest frame I2 having a pair of work steadying shoes I3 and I4 to support and steady a work piece I5 during a grinding operation. The steadyrest shoe I3 is supported on the right hand end of a horizontally adjustable slide I6 which slides within an aperture I'I formed within the steadyrest frame I2. An adjusting screw I8 is threaded into a threaded aperture I9 formed within the slide IS. The screw I8 is rotatably supported in a bearing 20 which is fixedly mounted within the frame I2. A manually operable actuating knob 2I is mounted on the left hand end of the screw I8 to facilitate a manual adjustment of the shoe I3.

The steadyrest shoe I4 is mounted on the right hand end of a pivotally mounted arm 25 which is supported by a stud 26 on the frame I2. To facilitate adjustment of the arm 25 and shoe I4, a cam 21 is formed on a transversely movable slide 28. The cam 21 engages a roller 29 which is supported by a stud 30 on the arm 25. An adjusting screw 3| is screw threaded into a threaded aperture 32 formed within the slide 28. The screw 3I is rotatably supported by a bearing 33 which is fixedly mounted within the steadyrest frame I2. A manually operable knob 34 is mounted on the left hand end of the screw 3| and serves to facilitate manual adjustment of the shoe I4 relative to the work piece I5.

The steadyrest frame is preferably shaped with suitable bearing surfaces to mate with correspondingly shaped surfaces on the table I I. The steadyrest frame I2 is provided with a clamping arm 35 which is actuated by a manually operable clamping lever 36 so that the steadyrest may be readily clamped on or removed from the table II when desired- In order to facilitate automatic operation of the steadyrest shoes l3 and M a suitable mechanism is provided for automatically advancing the steadyrest shoes at the start of a grinding operation into engagement with the work piece I and to maintain them in contact therewith during the grinding operation. In the preferred construction, a spring actuated means is provided for causing the steadyrest shoes Hi and M to advance into engagement with the work piece |5. The compression of the spring is sufiicient to feed the shoes l3 and l4 and to maintain them in supporting engagement with the work piece l5 as it is reduced in size due to grinding. A hydraulically operated mechanism is provided for withdrawing the shoes I3 and I4 to an inoperative position after a grinding operation has been completed. As illustrated in the drawings a hydraulic cylinder 48 is mounted on the left hand end of'the steadyrest frame l2. The cylinder 40 contains a slidably mounted piston 4| which is connected to one end of a piston rod 42. A block 43 is fixedly mounted on the upper end of the piston rod 42 and is provided with a rack 44 which meshes with a pinion 45 formed on the shoe adjusting screw IS. A compression spring 46 surrounds the piston rod 42 and is interposed between the piston 4| and the upper end cap of the cylinder 4!]. The compression of the spring 45 serves normally to exert a downward pressure on the piston 4| which tends to rotate the shoe adjusting screw Hi to advance the work shoes |3 toward the work piece I5. An adjustable stop screw 41 carried by the block 43 serves to limit the downward movement of the piston 4| and thereby to determine the forward and final position of the work steadying shoe l3. A fluid pipe 48 is provided to convey fluid under pressure into a cylinder chamber 49 to cause an upward movement of the piston 4| which in turn serves to rotate the shoe adjusting screw |8 in the reverse direction to cause the work steadying shoe |3 to move to an inoperative position. An adjustable stop screw 58 serves to limit the upward movement of the piston 4| and the block 43 to determine the inoperative position of the steadyrest shoe |3.

A similar mechanism is provided for controlling the movement of the work steadying shoe l4 to and from an operative position. This mechanism comprises a cylinder 5| mounted on the left hand end of the steadyrest frame I2. The cylinder 5| contains a slidably mounted piston 52 which is connected to one end of a piston rod 53. A block 54 is fixedly mounted on the lower end of the piston rod 53 and is provided with a rack 55 which meshes with a pinion 56 formed on the shoe adjusting screw 3|. A compression spring 51 surrounds the piston rod 53 and is interposed between the piston 52 and the lower end cap of the cylinder 5|. The compression of the spring 51 serves normally to exert an upward pressure on the piston 52 which tends to rotate the shoe adjusting screw 3| to move the work steadying shoe |4 toward the work piece i5. An adjustable stop screw 58 carried by the block 54 is arranged to engage the end cap at the lower end of the cylinder 5| to determine the forward feeding position of the work steadying shoe HE. A fiuid pipe 59 serves to admit fluid under pressure to a cylinder chamber 60 formed in the upper end of the cylinder 5|. When fluid under pressure is admitted through the pipe 59 into the cylinder chamber 60, it causes a downward movement of the piston 52 which rotates the shoe adjusting screw 3| in the reverse direction to withdraw the work steadying shoe Hi to an inoperative position. An adjustable stop screw 6| is arranged in the path of movement of the block 54 and serves to facilitate limiting the movement of the shoe l4 to an inoperative position.

In order to attain one of the objects of this invention, it is desirable to provide suitable connections between the wheel feeding mechanism and the steadyrest so that when the grinding wheel is advanced toward the work at the start of a grinding operation the steadyrest shoes l3 and i4 automatically are moved into engagement with the work piece l5 and automatically are maintained in supporting engagement therewith as the grinding operation proceeds. As illustrated diagrammatically in the drawings, a transversely movable wheel slide 18 is provided for supporting a rotatable grinding Wheel 1|. The grinding wheel 1| is preferably driven by means of a motor 12 mounted on the upper surface of the wheel slide 15. The motor 12 is provided with a'pulley 13 which is connected by multiple V-belts 14 with a pulley 15 mounted on the end of the wheel spindle.

To facilitate feeding the wheel slide 10 toward and from the work piece |5, a half nut 16 is mounted on the underside of the wheel slide 10 which meshes with a rotatable feed screw 11. The wheel feeding mechanism diagrammatically disclosed in Fig. 1 is substantially the same as that shown in the prior United States Patent No. 2,151,660 to B. H. Goehring dated March 21, 1939, to which reference may be had for details of disclosure not contained herein. The feed screw 11 may be rotated manually as illustrated in the prior patent above referred to if desired. To facilitate automatic feeding of the grinding wheel slide 16, a hydraulic cylinder 18 is provided which contains a slidably mounted piston 19 which is fixedly mounted on a double end piston rod 85. The left hand end of the piston rod 85 is connected to a slidably mounted sleeve 8| which connects the piston rod 88 with the feed screw 11. The sleeve 8| permits a rotary motion of the feed screw 11 while the piston rod remains stationary.

The piston and (cylinder serve to cause a rapid movement of the wheel slide 10 in either direction. In order to facilitate slowing down the rapid approaching movement of the wheel slide 10 to a predetermined grinding feed, a dash pot feed regulator 82 is provided which serves to adjustably retard the movement of the piston 19 so as to obtain the desired and predetermined infeeding movement of the slide 10 and grinding wheel 1|. This dash pot feed regulator will not be described in detail since this mechanism is identical with the dash pot feed regulator which is fully described and illustrated in the above referred to prior U. S. patent.

A feed control valve 83 is provided for controlling the admission to and exhaust of fluid from the cylinder 18. The control valve 83 is preferably a piston type valve comprising a valve stem 84, the left hand end of which is connected to a rock arm 85. A solenoid 85 serves when energized to shift the valve stem 84 toward the left (Fig. 1). A compression spring contained within the casing of the valve 83 serves normally to maintain the valve stem 84 in the position as illustrated in Fig. 1. A plurality of valve pistons 81, 88, 89 and 98 are formed integral with the valve stem 84.

A fluid pressure system is provided for supplying fiuid under pressure to operate both the wheel feeding mechanism and the steadyrest shoes. This system may comprise a reservoir 9| which may be contained within the base of the grinding machine. Fluid is drawn from the reservoir 9| through a pipe 92 by means of a motor driven pump 93. The pump 93 forces fluid under pressure through a pipe 94 to the control valve 83. In the position of the valve 83 (Fig. 1) fluid under pressure in the pipe 94 passes through a valve chamber formed between the valve pistons 88 and 89 and through a passage into a cylinder chamber 95 to cause the piston I9 to move toward the right so as to move the wheel slide I9 and the grinding wheel 'II toan inoperative position. During this movement of the piston I9, fluid within a cylinder chamber 96 formed at the right hand end of the cylinder I8 exhausts through a passage into a valve chamber formed between the valve pistons 81 and 88 and exhausts through a pipe I I5 and a throttle valve IIB into the reservoir 9|. The throttle valve IIB provided in the exhaust pipe II5 serves to facilitate regulation of the exhaust of fluid from the cylinder chamber 96 1701001113101 the rate of movement of the grinding wheel II to an inoperative position. A relief valve 91 is provided to facilitate maintaining the desired operating pressure within the fluid system. The relief valve 91 is an adjustable type relief valve whereby excess fluid under pressure may be returned directly to the reservoir 9|.

In order to facilitate automatic operation of the steady-rest shoes I3 and I4, a suitable fluid connection is provided between the control valve 83 and the cylinders 49 and 5|. This connection may comprise a pipe 98 which is connected between the valve 83 and the pipes 48 and 59. It is desirable to provide an independent manual control for the steadyrest shoes I3 and I4 so that the work steadying shoes may be manually controlled if desired or may be automatically moved to and from operative positions in timed relation with the feeding movement of the grinding wheel II. A valve 99, as shown in Fig. l, is provided in the pipe 98 to facilitate cutting off the flow of fluid from the feed control valve 83. A manually operable control valve I99 is provided to facilitate manual control of the steadyrest shoes I3 and I4 when desired. The control valve I99 is a piston type valve comprising a valve stem I9| having valve pistons I92, I93 and I94 formed integral therewith. A manually operable control lever IDS is provided for manually shifting the valve stem I9I. Fluid under pressure from the pump 93 is connected to a pipe I99 to convey fluid under pressure to a valve chamber located between the valve pistons I93 and I94. An exhaust pipe I9! is provided to connect the valve chamber located between the valve pistons I92 and I93 with the reservoir 9|. A pipe I98 is provided to connect the valve I99 with the pipe 98. The valve 99 is arranged, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the control valve I99 may be connected to operate the steadyrest shoes when desired.

As shown in the drawings, the valve 99 is closed so that fluid cannot flow from the control valve 83 to the steadyrest. The valve I99 is positioned so that fluid contained within the cylinder chambers 49 and 59 may exhaust through the pipes 48 and 59 respectively through the pipe 98, through the valve 99, through the pipe I98, through the valve I99 into the reservoir 9| so that the released compression of the springs 46 and 51 serves to rotate the shoe adjusting screws I8 and 3| respectively to move the work steadying shoes I3 and I4 into operative engagement with the work piece I5 and to feed the shoes I3 and I4 as the work piece I5 is reduced in diameter due to grinding so that the work piece I5 is at all times supported and steadied by the shoes I3 and I4. When it is desired to withdraw the shoes I3 and I4 to an inoperative position, the control lever I95 is shifted in a counter clockwise direction to shift the valve stem |9| toward the left (Fig. 1) so that fluid under pressure in the pipe I96 may pass through the valve I99, through the pipe I98, through the valve 99 into the cylinder chambers 49 and 69 to move the piston 4| upwardly and the piston 52- downwardly against the compression of the springs 46 and 51 respectively so as to rotate the shoe adjusting screws I8 and 3| respectively to move the shoes I3 and I4 to inoperative positions after a grinding operation has been completed.

When an automatic grinding operation of the steadyrest shoes I3 and I4 is desired, the valve I99 is turned in a clockwise direction (Fig. l)

so as to render the manual control valve I99 inoperative and the valve 99 is opened so that fluid under pressure may pass through or exhaust through the pipe 98 to or from the cylinder chambers 49 and 99. In this position of the valve 99, the passage of fluid to and exhaust of fluid from the steadyrest cylinders 49 and 5| is controlled by the feed control valve 83. In the position of the valve 93 as illustrated, fluid under pressure from the pump 93 passing through the pipe 94 into the valve chamber formed between the valve pistons 98 and 89 may pass through the pipe 98 and through the pipes 48 and 59 into the cylinder chambers 49 and 99 to cause the steadyrest shoe adjusting screws I8 and 3| to be rotated to automatically withdraw the work steadying shoes I3 and I to inoperative positions simultaneously with the admission of fluid into the cylinder chamber 95 to cause a rearward movement of the piston 99 and the grinding wheel 'II to an inoperative position. Similarly when a forward feeding movement of the grinding wheel II is initiated by energization of the solenoid 86, the valve 83 is shifted toward the left (Fig. 1) so that fluid under pressure in the pipe 94 passes into the valve chamber located between the valve pistons 88 and 89 and through a passage into the cylinder chamber 96 to cause a forward feeding movement of the piston I9, the wheel slide I9 and the grinding wheel II. At the same time fluid contained within the steadyrest cylinder chambers 49 and 99 may exhaust through the pipes 48 and 59 respectively, and through the pipe 98, through a valve chamber located between the valve pistons 39 and 99 and out through the exhaust pipe I I5 into the reservoir 9|. The exhaust of fluid from the cylinder chambers 49 and 69 serves to release the compression of the springs 49 and 5! so as to cause a downward movement of the piston 4| and an upward movement of the piston 52 to rotate the shoe adjusting screws I8 and 3| respectively to cause the work steadying shoes to move into operative engagement with the work piece I5 to be ground and to maintain the shoes I3 and I4 in operative engagement therewith during the entire grinding operation as the work piece I5 is reduced in size. It will be readily apparent from the foregoing disclosure that by manipulation of the valve 99, the steadyrest I2 may be operated either under a manual control or automatically in timed relation with the feeding movement of the grinding wheel 11.

The operation .of this improved ,steadyregt will Joe readily apparent from the foregoi g isclosure.

It will thus be seen that :the e has Joeen provided by this invention apparatus in which the various o ects hereinabove set :forth together with many thoroughly pra tical advantages re successfully chi ve As many possibl emb d m nts m y .be made of the above inven ion and a many chan es mi t be made in th embod (ment abovesetforth, itis to be understood that all ma ter her in e or s tforth .or sh wn in the accompany drawin is to be in erpreted as illust ativ an notin a l mitines nse- I cla m:

1. ;.In a r nding ma hin havin a ngitudinally movable t ble, a r t bl w rkesupp a tra sver ly movable rotatabl rin ing wheel, means includin a piston and cylind r o mor said wheel transversely .in either ,directmn a control valve therefor, and a steadyrest including a steadyrest base on said table, a work steadying shoe adjustably mounted on said base, a nut and screw mechanism to adjust said shoe, means including a spring to rotate said screw to move the shoe into operative engagement with a workpiece 15. be ground and to maintain the shoein supporting engagement therewith ,as the work is reduced in size due to grindin a piston and cylinder to rotate said screw in the opposite direction to move said shoe into an inoperative position, fluid connections between said latter cylinder and the feed control valve whereby the steadyrest shoe is actuated automatically in timed relation with the transverse movement of the grindin wheel, a normally inoperative valve to control the admission to and exhaust of fluid from the steadyrest cylinder, and a manually operable valve to render the connections between the feed control valve and the steadyrest cylinder inopervative and to render the normally inoperative valve operative when it is desired independently to control the operation of the steadyrest shoe.

:2. in a grinding machine :having a longitudinally movable table, a rotatable work support, a transversely movable rotatable grinding wheel, .means including a piston and cylinder to move said wheel transversely in eitherdirection, a ,feed lcontrolrvalve therefor, and a steadyrest including a steadyrest base on saiditable, a pair of work steadying-shdesadjustably mounted on said base, means including an independent nut and Screw ;mecha nism r adjust each of said shoes relative to said base, means including an independent spring operatively connected to actuate each of said nut and screw mechanisms automatically to move sai s es into n a em n with the work and to maintain said shoes in operative engagement therewith during a grinding operation, means including an independent piston and cylinder to rotate eachrof said screws in the opposite direction independently to reposition said shoes after a grinding operation has been completed, fluid connections between both of said cylinders .and the feed control valve whereby both of the shoes and the grinding wheel are automatically withdrawn simultaneously from engagement with the work, a normally inoperative manually operable valve to control admission to and exhaust of fluid from the steadyrest cylinders, and a valve to render the connections between the feed control valve and :the steadyrest cylinders inoperative and to render the manually operable valve operative when it is .desired manually to control the operation of the steadyrest shoes.

HERBERT A. SILVEN.

REF-BEEN CE S CITED The fol-lowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,041,215 Silven May 19, 1936 2.;053318 Silven Sept. '8, 1936 2, 4. l9,:1f7 0 Silven Apr. 17, 194.7 

